Centuries
by TheDreamerSetFree
Summary: Agent Amber Karakova was added to the docks of the Avengers Initiative for her skill set and secrets. At first, Captain Rogers and her clash, but when made partners, they realize there is more than their jobs to a person. When Agent Karakova's past catches up to her, can Steve and the other Avengers help her? What is her secret? My first multi-chapter story.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"Seven years ago, we lost our best agent. She went rogue, joining the Americans. It was bad enough that we lost Widow, but now the Dragon?" a rough male voice rasped.

"Don't worry, Dimytri; Widow may be long gone, but Dragon won't be very hard to _convince_ back to our side," a woman chuckled darkly.

"_How, _Marina?"

"I can be _very_ persuasive."

She smirked and they glanced over at the squirming man tied to a chair.

"S.H.I.E.L.D?" he asked.

"Mhmmmm," she nodded as her hand started to glow, "and he will tell us everything."

Chapter One

The hot summer sun beat down on Captain Steve Rogers as he maneuvered his motorcycle into the S.H.I.E.L.D. parking lot. He checked the text Fury had sent out and entered the looming building.

_Avengers to S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ-F_

He knew Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were already there. The roar of an engine signaled that Tony Stark and Dr. Bruce Banner had arrived as well.

"Do you know what's up?" Tony asked, shutting his car door.

"No. Just got here. Do you think it's important?" Steve shook his head.

"I hope not," Bruce frowned and followed them in.

"Hello," their redheaded teammate greeted them when they walked in.

"What's up, comrade?" Tony cracked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Natasha's lips quirked slightly, but then she turned, beckoning them to follow. Agents shyed away and moved against the wall to get out of the way of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

It had been three months since the Battle of New York and no one was really over it. Steve still had nightmares and moved into the Avengers tower so he could be around people he trusted. Modern times were getting easier to understand, especially things like phones and laptops. He had been looking up a lot of information online, and thanks to an eidetic memory, he remembered everything he saw. He wasn't an idiot like everyone thought at first, thank you very much.

Natasha led them into a debriefing room and shut the door behind herself, locking it. Fury sat there with Clint and two women. The first one looked nervous while the second woman's face was blank and impassive. They all took a seat and Fury cleared his throat.

"The world isn't at danger, but six of my best agents are. They were ambushed and are now being held in a secure facility off the coast of Venezuela by the world's current greatest drug cartel. We need you to go in and extract the agents carefully. Agents Smith, Rockwell, Hernandez, Blake, DeMarco, and Jones are vital to S.H.I.E.L.D. mission success. We need them. But, before that, I would like to introduce Dr. Rebecca Gardner, who will be your head physician," he said.

The nervous woman smiled weakly and waved. Her light brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she had white labcoat over her clothes. She was pretty, but seemed very shy.

"And this is Agent Amber Karakova. She was originally supposed to be in the Battle of New York, but she just came back from an undercover mission investigating new leads about a potential enemy organization. She is one of our toughest agents and has worked with Agents Barton and Romanoff on many accounts."

Agent Karakova was a dark, cold person. Her mouth seemed to be drawn into a permanent scowl all the time and her curly, black hair fell around her hard face. She regarded them all with stony, golden eyes. The fact that they were indeed golden was unnerving to Steve. He looked over at Natasha who gave him a short nod, a reassurance that she was trustworthy.

"You leave in the morning," Fury dismissed them and left, leaving everyone to sit in awkward silence.

"If you're uncomfortable about me keeping your medical files, I will burn them after I check you and you can watch. Also, I will not being doing tests on anyone without consent," Dr. Gardner said quietly.

"Thank you," Bruce visibly relaxed.

"Any dirty little secrets?" Tony leaned his elbows on the table, resting his head in his hands, and fluttering his lashes like a teenage girl.

"Uh... no," Dr. Gardner spluttered.

"Tony," Clint said in a warning tone.

"Oh, no. It's fine. Here's one, Mr. Stark," Amber drawled, "I can kill you in five ways just with the pen on the table."

She smirked sweetly and leaned back into her chair.

"I will find out your secrets, princess," Stark didn't look shaken, but Natasha and Clint tensed.

"First, my files are redacted, not on any online databases, and hidden. Second, if you do that, I will have no choice, other than to kill you. I hope you understand," she hissed.

"Amber," Rebecca got serious instantly, "Why don't we go? Your lab work should be done by now."

Natasha nodded in thanks at the doctor, who motioned for the dark haired agent to follow her. Steve couldn't help but notice that Agent Karakova limped slightly.

"What's her deal?" Tony snorted.

"Her adoptive father was Coulson. Fury sent her on a mission a week prior to the Battle of New York. Not only was one of her teammates killed on the team, she came home to find Coulson dead," Natasha snapped.

"I'm sorry," Tony's face fell, "I didn't know. I never knew he had a daughter."

"He was mainly her guardian. He would sign everything off for her. He was with us when we found her and he and Tash were the first two people that were able to get her to talk," Clint explained.

Bruce asked the question that was on everyone's mind, "Found her?"

"She had been held in captivity by an enemy organization. Case closed. Don't ask her. Don't read her file," Natasha snapped.

Steve glanced at Tony, who looked like he wanted to say something, but knew not to push. They all had lasting effects after the Battle of New York and even though she was new to the team, she wouldn't be harassed about her past. They had all accepted that some things were secret and wouldn't be exposed to the whole team until they were ready.

But, he also knew that the team was really interested in: who this new girl really was and why Clint and Natasha wanted to protect her so much.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you ready to drop?" Natasha looked over at the dark haired agent next to her.

"Yep, say when," Amber nodded and adjusted the strap on her parachute.

"Cap, you ready?" the redhead asked the Star Spangled Man.

"Yeah," he flexed his shoulders and wrists, shaking out any tension.

"Drop!" Clint yelled and the two sprinted towards the hatch and jumped.

Amber slapped her arms against her legs and dove towards the ground. She knew the others would follow soon after and figured Captain Rogers wouldn't interrogate her or anything. She pulled the cord and was pulled back by the force of the parachute expanding. The minute her feet touched the ground, she unbuckled her backpack and pulled off the suit. Underneath was a S.H.I.E.L.D. required catsuit that was designed just for her type of field work. Captain Rogers landed next to her and glanced over.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, "Let's just go get the agents back."

Agent Smith was her best friend in S.H.I.E.L.D. and she would do anything to get her back. Captain Rogers looked up as Natasha and Clint landed, Mr. Stark and Thor doing so as well.

"Widow and Hawkeye, you take the north side, Thor take the east, Stark the west, and Dragon, you're with me," Captain Rogers directed.

Amber reluctantly nodded and followed him towards the south side.

"Can you take those three guards out?" he whispered and she smirked.

"My pleasure," she murmured.

Captain Rogers glanced over at her and she nodded, slipping into the shadows. He waited.

She came up behind one of the guards and snapped his neck up, before whirling around, knocking aside the gun that was pointed at her by another guard. She twisted her staves, bringing them up around her shoulders and slamming them upon his head. A hand grabbed her wrist and she stomped on his foot, elbowing him in the gut and whipping around, kicking him in the face.

"Guards are down, Captain," she announced in the comms.

An arm wrapped around her throat from behind and she dropped her staves, grabbing at the arm. She tried to gain enough leverage to flip the guard when he yanked up, tightening his hold and dangling her feet off the ground. There was a clang of metal and she dropped in a crouch, massaging her throat and coughing quietly.

"Are you alright?" Captain Rogers asked.

"Yeah, thanks," she nods and stands, grabbing her staves.

"We are in position," he spoke into the comms and they moved to each side of the doorframe.

"Ready," Natasha said.

"I am ready to free the agents!" Thor announced.

"Let's blow this popsicle stand," Stark spoke and Captain Rogers kicked open the door.

Amber dropped into position, staves held at ready. A guard rushed at them and she dropped to the ground, leg sweeping him and quickly getting back up. Captain Rogers threw his shield, taking out two guards and catching his shield again. Amber quickly strapped her staves to her back and grabbed one of her guns. She fired at a guard that was about to hit Captain Rogers. In return, he deflected a bullet from her and punched the guard behind her.

"Nice hit," she complimented.

"Thanks," he smirked lightly.

They went through the halls, leaving a trail of unconscious (and some dead) bodies.

"We're near the hostages," Amber announced.

"Be careful, but proceed. We're almost done," Natasha told her.

They glanced at each other, wordlessly agreeing. The room was dirty and dank and Amber could see the agents laying in it.

"Are you alright?" she asked, approaching a blonde woman who was clinging to consciousness.

"Took you long enough," she laughed quietly.

"There was traffic," she snorted, checking her pupils.

"Captain, all agents are present. This is Special Agent Andrea Smith, our top weapons specialist and mechanic," Amber introduced.

"Nice to meet you, Agent Smith. Let's get you out of here," he said.

"Not so fast, Captain," a voice said from the doorframe.

"Manuel Vargas, of course," Amber stood from her crouched position and faced the chubby man.

"Ana, so nice to see you again," he chuckled.

"My apologies, but I can't seem to make myself feel the same way," she snapped back.

"Do be nice," he hissed and two guards leveled their semi automatic rifles at the two Avengers.

"Come forward, dear," he sneered and she stepped forward. A guard grabbed her arm, turning her around and leveling a knife at her throat.

"I am the best drug lord that has ever existed," he boasted.

"Do you tell yourself that every night? Make you sleep better?" Amber rolled her eyes.

Captain Rogers' eyes darted towards her and she tilted her head slightly. He blinked twice and her lips twitched. They were small enough details that no one could notice, but they somehow understood each other. In seconds, Amber had a knife in the guys leg and Captain Rogers had pulled his gun out, firing at the other guard.

"Want to try that again?" Amber asked, tossing and catching her knife before holding it against Vargas' throat.

"Dragon, stand down, we need to take him in so we can extract information," Captain Rogers protested.

"I don't take your orders," she scoffed and a gun fired.

Amber dropped her knife and hissed in pain, clutching her thigh which had been shot. She whipped around, glaring at a smirking Vargas, and shot him straight in the head.

"Widow, I'm hit. Get in here," she said in the comms.

"We needed him!"

"Captain, he's an idiot," she rolled her eyes and grabbed Vargas' body, rolling it over and pulling out a flash drive from his jacket pocket and handing it to Captain Rogers, she said, "His entire organization is on that I should know, I staked him out quite a bit a few weeks ago."

"When you were on your mission in Venezuela?" he asked and instantly regretted it.

Her jaw tightened and she flinched slightly, as if she had been struck, "Yes." Her voice was softer.

"All agents accounted for?" Natasha asked as the others entered.

"Yeah," Amber's voice went cold again, "I'm going to need something for my leg and fast."

They all glanced over at the blood leaking out and agreed. Amber helped Agent Smith up and slung her arm around her shoulder. They limped/walked each other to the ship who had landed a little bit away silently.

"How's Bec?" Andrea glanced at her best friend.

"She's fine. A little bit of a whirlwind, but she's missed our weekly ugh fest," Amber grimaced.

"I guess we'll have to make those up," the blonde smirked.

"Pass me that rag," Amber called, sitting down.

She was responded with a towel to the face and a grinning mechanic.

"Pass isn't throw, jerk," she rolled her eyes.

The others walked in, supporting agents and Natasha walked over, grabbing the rag and making a tourniquet.

"Nothing I haven't felt before," Amber yelped slightly as the redhead assassin yanked it tighter.

"Don't be a smartass. You're my problem," she snorted lightly before ruffling her hair, "how are you?"

"I've been better," she shrugged, "I think Captain Rogers hates me now."

"Yeah," Natasha shrugged, "we kill. It's our job."

"Fury gave me the kill order."

Natasha's eyes widened, "He let you because..."

"Yeah, because of Ella."

Elizabeth Blake had been one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best agents. She was a level 10, best friends with Maria Hill and Phil Coulson. Fury and her worked closely (some agents (including Barton, Romanoff, and Karakova) thought they were dating) and she had been Amber's SO when Coulson went on a mission. Amber had only been seventeen and needed a replacement SO before they sent her on missions and Coulson had been gone for two months. She had been antsy, so Ella stepped up and took over. When he came back, they had joint control over her.

Amber had a mother-daughter relationship with Ella.

Then, during the Battle of New York, she and Ella (again, Fury totally had a thing for her) were sent on a mission to Venezuela to watch Manuel Cruz. They were caught spying by his paid for hire mercenary and Ella died taking a bullet for Amber. No one could have extracted them in time because S.H.I.E.L.D. was under attack by Loki's army.

Then, she came back and found out Coulson was dead.

She didn't talk, eat, or do anything but beat herself into the ground while training. She broke down at the month and a half mark and Natasha and Clint just sat in her room, holding her as she sobbed. Emotions were rare between the three, but they were always there for each other.

"That's been your first kill order since."

"It's the best one I've ever carried through with. Even if Captain Tightass is pissed at me."

"You are too stubborn for your own good," Natasha laughed quietly.

"I'm tired. Go 'way," she mumbled, eyes sliding shut.

"Yeah. Sleep, sestra. You did good tonight," the Widow patted her shoulder and sat next to her little sister until she fell asleep and they touched down safely at the Helicarrier.


	3. Chapter 3

"Agent Karakova is healed and will be ready for the field by tomorrow," Dr. Gardner said, walking into the debriefing room and stripping off her plastic gloves. Steve tried to ignore the blood on them.

"Sir, we could have used Vargas for information, but Agent Karakova ruined that chance by killing him," he instead turned to Fury.

Vargas' information could have saved hundreds of lives until that assassin went and killed him

"Agent Karakova had a vendetta to settle. Vargas and Karakova have a certain past. He murdered someone very close to her. That's how she operates, an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. Besides, I gave her a kill order," Fury brushed him off.

"You couldn't have told the rest of us?"

"Was it your place to know? She did her job just fine."

"What's so special about her anyway? I don't want to know her SHIELD issued sob story, but like, what should we expect working with her?" Tony asked.

"Nat, play the security footage," Clint smirked.

The redhead rolled her eyes, but agreed and pulled a video up onto the screen in front of everyone.

"The guy is Agent Sanders, an asshole," Clint pointed out, "I mean, a great agent, terrible person."

Fury rolled his eyes as they turned to the video.

Agent Karakova was walking out of the gym when Sanders said something. It must have been bad, because she went completely rigid and slowly turned on her heel. She set down her bag and walked up to him, saying something. He looked offended and she smirked when suddenly, he right hooked her in the jaw.

"What the hell?!" Tony shouted, "Get him, girl!"

Amber popped up, bouncing on the balls of her feet. He threw his fist out again, but she was gone, sliding between his legs and tripping him. She flipped off her hands, jumping onto her feet as he pulled himself up to his knees. She kicked him straight in the face and then, to finish him off, kicked him where the sun doesn't shine.

"I want her on my next team boxing match," Tony pointed to the screen.

"We don't have team boxing matches," Clint looked at him confusedly.

"We do now," Stark smirked.

"I WOULD LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE MOST EXCELLENT GAMES!" Thor boomed.

"That's one of her more off days," Natasha commented over the fights of who gets who on their team.

Steve gave Bruce a wry look and sighed. These were Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

Later, he found himself walking aimlessly around the building before the loudspeaker activated.

"Captain Rogers and Agent Karakova? We need you in Director Fury's office," Julia, the secretary, said.

He sighed and walked towards the hall where Fury was located. Karakova was rash, unforgiving, and stubborn. Regardless of Fury's orders, she should have told him at least what she was going to do.

But, he winced slightly when he saw her limping heavily towards him.

"How are you?" he let his annoyance dissipate for a few minutes.

"Yeah," she grunted, opening Fury's office door.

"Sit," he pointed to the two chairs in front of his desk.

Agent Karakova huffed and sat down as he slowly lowered himself down into his seat.

"Let's do this quickly," the Director turned to them, "Karakova will modernize your fighting style. She isn't your SO, but more of your trainer."

Karakova opened her mouth to protest, but shut it at the glare he gave her.

More time spent with her, this sounds like so much fun, Steve thought.

"Go," he pointed out and Hill entered behind them, smirk on her face.

"When will you tell them that they are partners in the field?" she asked, eyes raking over the photos of Agents Coulson and Blake he had on his desk.

"Baby steps, Hill, baby steps. Those two stubborn asshats need to like each other before I send them out to kill people."

"True. We have a meeting with the council now."

A week later, Steve found himself in a training room.

"Hit it," Agent Karakova drawled, pointing to the punching bag.

"I know how to hit a punching bag," he scoffed.

"Listen, I don't want to be here as much as you don't," she snapped.

They were toe to toe before he sighed and went to wrap his hands. She sat on the bench and watched him for a while before standing, wrapping her hands as well.

"Hit me," she said, standing in front of him.

"What?" his eyes bugged, "I'm not going to hit you."

"Hit. Me."

He refused, crossing his arms and staring her down.

"Fine," she smirked and turned, walking away.

Before he could speak, she whirled around, decking him hard across the face.

"Now, I'm sure you are wondering "what the hell?" and "why is this crazy bitch training me?" I'm your TO, training officer, and you will listen to me. You will do as I say. Do you have any problems with that, Captain?" her voice was steely cold.

"No, ma'am," he winced at the pain in his jaw.

"Now, hit me!" she shouted.

He threw a light punch at her shoulder and she kicked him as hard as she could in the side. Steve stumbled back and stared at her in surprise. This gal was tough. He punched slightly harder and she kicked him in the stomach. They went at it for a while, him slowly warming up to the fact that she didn't care about his super strength and her slowly getting used to the idea of training him. He was compliant and tough.

A slam echoed through the room and Amber reeled back, raising a hand to her cheek, where his punch had landed.

"I'm so sorry," he instantly apologized.

"No, you did good. You did what I asked," she let a small sliver of a smile play on her face.

The door opened and a sandy haired man entered. He looked at them, noticing Amber holding her face and smirked.

"Next time, Cap, hit her harder," he scoffed.

"Excuse me?" Steve inhaled sharply and turned to glare at him.

"Sanders, go to hell," Amber rolled her eyes.

"Shame you got stuck with the bitch. If I were Fury, I would put you with someone more competent. Not someone sleeping with Barton who got her to her position."

Amber was tensed at this point, but walked calmly to the other side of the room.

"Captain Rogers, let's go," she called.

"You gonna follow your guide bitch?" Agent Sanders sneered, "Or train with me?"

Steve hit him, harder than he had hit Amber.

"I don't like bullies," he snapped.

"Steve," her voice was quieter and he glanced over at her, "Let's go. It's lunch time."

A small smile played on her lips as he joined her.

"Thank you, but I can fight my own battles," she said, leading him to the cafeteria.

"I just don't like bullies," he shrugged.

"Neither do I," she snorted quietly.

Maybe Agent Karakova wasn't as cold and hard to work with as he thought. She had a dry sense of humor, one that took him a bit to catch onto.

Lunch in S.H.I.E.L.D was strange. Everyone was divided up by jobs and friend groups. Amber was cold around some, but was laughing and talking rapidly to others. She led him over to where Dr. Gardner was sitting, a folder in one hand, food in the other.

"You too actually getting along?" she raised an eyebrow at them.

"I think so," Amber shrugged, smiling lightly at him.

"Who was that guy?" he asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Agent Joel Sanders, one of my old field partners. He's pissed because I promoted to level 8 without him and he's still a level 5," she explained.

"That isn't right," he frowned, "he can't be mad because you got what you deserve."

"A lot of people here don't think that. Being the Black Widow's little sister makes people not trust your abilities."

"You're Natasha's little sister?"

"We kept it a secret for a bit, but yeah, Tash is my sister."

"Karakova! Rogers! They need you on the bridge!" a younger agent called out.

Amber sighed, throwing her food out and walking towards the bridge. Steve quickly caught up to her and they walked in silence.

"Sorry, by the way," Amber said, "for being a bitch. In this career, you don't know who to trust and recently, it's been a bit too much."

"Sorry for being a Captain Tightass," he laughed.

"Oo, you heard that?"

"Enhanced hearing. Are you sure I didn't hit you too hard?"

"I can take a hit. Natasha trained me for god's sake. It'll just bruise and I'll wear it proudly."

He looked over at the bruise that was forming on her cheek, but she gave him a small smile.

"I'm fine," she said, "really."

"Alright," he put his hands up in mock surrender.

"Agent, Captain," Natasha nodded, falling in line next to them.

"Steve knows. What's up?" Amber went serious.

"Some asshat stole S.H.I.E.L.D. files about explosives. Fury wants us to take him out. He's got, what….twenty bodyguards? That's why we need Cap."

"And they need me to seduce him?"

"Sorry, but yeah."

"My favorite," she sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

Hi guys! Shorter update this week, sorry! I'm super busy right now. But, here's some actors who the characters looks are based off of:

Amber-Tatiana Maslany

Rebecca-Jennifer Garner

Andrea-Brittany Snow

Ella-Angelina Jolie

Joel-Dylan Bruce

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Marvel in any way. Sadly.

~Oh hot damn look at this line break yo~

"I'm in position," Amber spoke into the comms, smiling and tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I've got eyes on you," Steve's voice came from her earpiece.

"Going in," she said, sauntering up to the mark.

He was vile and greasy. Amber was opposed to the idea at first, but when she saw his record, she jumped on board. His name was Franklin Anderson and she really couldn't wait to kill him, based on the way that he was staring at her.

"Hola," she purred, smiling at him.

"Hello, dear," he checked her out and patted the seat next to him, "Sit."

She complied and he slung an arm around her shoulders.

"My employer is interested," she twirled her hair around her fingers, "about some formula you have?"

"Ah, yes. The Genesis formula. What will your employer give me?"

"$500,000 to start," his hand ran down her arm and she held back the urge to throw up, before she whispered something in his ear that made Steve squeak in embarrassment.

Anderson grinned and she led him into the hall, where no cameras or guards were.

"Your room number is?"

"743," he nodded.

She smiled and pressed the button to the elevator. They entered and she turned around, stabbing him before smirking.

"Target is apprehended," she sighed.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, Natasha is better in these situations then I am. It makes me uncomfortable."

The elevator dinged and she stepped out, spotting three guards and reporting it back to Steve. Hidden behind her back, she flipped open her staves and smashed it against the first guards head. The other two fired rapidly at her, but she ducked in a crevice before pulling her firearm out and firing back.

"I need backup!" she shouted, more guards running out.

She shot back, running out of rounds and cursing.

"I'm getting there as fast as I can!"

"Hello, Dragon," a chillingly familiar voice chuckled and she swore loudly, eyes widening.

She found herself in a hotel room, blood running from her temple where someone had pistol whipped her, and handcuffed to a chair.

"Steve?" she asked.

"I'm here," he grunted, "I can't get out of these."

"High grade titanium handcuffs. Used by the Red Room and Project Dragon to apprehend their subjects," she commented.

"Bad guys?" he attempted to joke.

"Oh, the worst," she said dryly when a laugh came from the doorway.

Amber sat straighter, panic rushing through her.

"Anatoly," she hissed.

"Anastasia," the man raises an eyebrow.

"It's Amber, now," she snapped.

"Yes, after you defected. How's your sister, Natalia?"

"Don't say her name!"

"I'm not here to do business, Anastasia."

Steve smirked at the quiet, "Amber," she hissed.

"I'm here to give you a choice. Marina and Dimytri want you back."

"You mean, need me back," she scoffed.

A sharp crack filled the room as he slapped her.

"Watch your tongue, Anastasia. You have lost your skills, Dragon."

"What do they want?"

"Kill your lovely partner, join us, and we will spare Natalia. Or, you both die and we kill her."

"So, I have no choice, but death?"

"Basically."

"No."

"Shoot out his kneecaps."

Steve's eyes widened as two guards approached. Serum or not, he would be in trouble.

"Wait!" Amber shouted, "I'll do it."

"Good, good. Maybe you aren't as hopeless as we thought."

"You'll need to uncuff me," she said.

Steve's throat closed. She would actually do this? Maybe he was wrong. She really didn't care.

"You and I both know you don't need to be uncuffed."

"I don't fight that way anymore. I lost that long ago."

"You really are weak. Just don't try anything stupid."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Steve heard the click and thump of handcuffs falling to the ground. He heard the safety of a gun switching off and Amber stepped in his eye line. She gently moved the barrel of the gun to his forehead, taking a deep breath and shutting her eyes.

He waited.

And waited.

"Any time now, Dragon."

A low growl built in her chest and she let out a snarl, eyes snapping open.

They were glowing. Amber turned, firing two bullets into the guards foreheads before lowering the gun at Anatoly.

"You do still have it. Marina will be pleased."

"She'll never find out," Amber smirked and shot him three times.

She stared at his body before raising a quivering hand to her comms.

"We need extraction now," her voice trembled slightly, "Inform Director Fury of a code 813X94."


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry, I'm a bit late! I started Russian, French, on top of my Spanish lessons and it wouldn't let me update. Quick notes: this chapter if kinda fillery, but has a big reveal, this story is mainly for character development not action, and also, I do have a sequel in the works with the events of CA:TWS. Please, PLEASE review and tell me what I can improve.

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel

"We knew they would come back!" Natasha snarled, slamming her fists into the table.

"We didn't think this soon!" Fury yelled back.

"How could you know? We had no surveillance or agents tracking them. They're ghosts and we are in the dark here," Clint paced around the room.

"How did they know she was on that mission?" Andrea said from her seat. She was upgrading one of her guns, but her shoulders were clenched as she pulled it apart.

"We have a mole. I've suspected it, but never really looked into it," Fury admitted.

"Why the hell not?" Natasha snapped.

"Agent Karakova can handle herself. Her…..skill set can easily take out threats."

"They don't want me dead," Amber spoke up from where she had been sitting silently, "They want me back. They're planning something, something big and they need me for it."

"You're not going back," Natasha crossed her arms.

Amber's head snapped up and she stared at her sister.

"This is my battle. No one else needs to get involved and die on my hand. They want me, but they won't get me. This is my home. I've made a life, a future here. I am not some puppet on strings. I am not their doll used to their bidding."

The two assassins watched each other before Natasha cleared her throat, dropping her gaze.

"Regardless of which, you're my sister. Every war has soldiers and every soldier runs the risk of dying. You aren't getting rid of me."

"Me either," Clint shook his head.

"I love a good firefight," Andrea smirked, turning the safety on her finished gun and setting it on the table.

"What about Captain Rogers?"

"I'll handle him," Natasha spoke up.

"For now, let's figure out who this mole is. Barton's right, we're in the dark. We either get one step ahead or wait for them to strike again. Believe me, I don't have enough goddamn patience for that," Fury shook his head.

They left the debriefing room, the agents heading for the gym.

"It'll be okay," Clint said softly, patting the younger girl's shoulder.

"If something happens to me," she whispered, "Take care of her, okay?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded.

"You guys train. Amber, why don't you practice your...uh," Natasha's eyes darted around the hall, "new trick."

"Got it," she nodded, entering the Strike Team Delta gym.

"I've got a Super Soldier to scare the shit out of. See you soon," Natasha patted Clint's chest and walked off.

"Have fun!" he called, smirking.

The redhead walked swiftly down the hall, agents moving out of her way. She was the notorious Black Widow and she was on a mission.

"ROGERS!" she shouted and the Star Spangled Man turned around, only to be slammed against a wall.

She dragged him by his collar into one of the all access gym and with a withering glare, cleared it of all agents.

"Romanoff, what the hell?" he exclaimed.

"What you saw on that mission will never be repeated, okay? Her past is secret and only she will tell you about. Fury is making you two partners and if she ends up dead or in the infirmary, I will end you, serum or not. She doesn't deserve this life. Amber isn't like you or me. She's special and she has a big target painted on her back. You let her get hurt and the results aren't pretty."

Steve's eyes were wide and he was gaping like a fish at the end of her soliloquy.

"I understand, ma'am," he nodded, falling back into his soldier ways.

"You may not understand the things she does now, but I assure you, you will."

Then, she walked out, leaving him standing there stunned.

Meanwhile, Amber was standing at one edge of the gym, Andrea and Clint next to her.

"I haven't done this in three years," she protested.

"If Project Dragon is back, you need this," Andrea shook her head.

Amber flexed her wrists, taking a deep breath. The crudely painted dummy was standing on the other side of the gym. Clint, Amber, and Natasha had gotten bored and painted the dummies after a certain Agent Joel Sanders. Andrea had laughed for a good minute while Rebecca just rolled her eyes.

She shut her eyes, taking deep breaths. She could feel her heart racing faster, heat seeping into her soul, the blood rushing in her head. She placed her palms outwards towards the dummy and opened her eyes. They glowed, an eerie gold.

Just like that, it was gone.

"I can't do it," she whispered.

"Yes, you can," Clint urged her on.

She tried again and failed.

"I can't do it!" she argued.

"That's bullshit," her sister said from the door, "Stop being weak."

"Nat, what the hell are you doing?" Clint turned to his partner.

"Project Dragon and Red Room did this to train us. Trust me."

Andrea and Clint stepped forward. Natasha got straight in Amber's face.

"You're weak. Pathetic. You'll never amount to anything. You just want me and Clint there, always babying you and taking care of you."

Amber took a deep breath, slowly getting angrier.

"Skills? The only reason they are keeping you here is because you can make a good pot of coffee and because you are my sister."

Her eyes took on the glow again.

"What potential did Coulson and Ella see in you? You are just a pathetic bitch who needs to suck it up."

Amber let out a growl, low from her chest. She raised her hands, letting the heat flow through her body. She shut her eyes, hearing a roar. When she opened them, the dummy was charred and her hands were surrounded by flames.

"Who are you?" Natasha got in her face again, "Who. Are. You?"

"I'm not pathetic or weak. I deserve this. I am darkness. I am fear to all enemies. I am Anastasia Karakova Romanov. I am the Red Dragon."


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Holy crap. I didn't expect to get this big of a following. Holy crap. I honestly think this story is crap sometimes, but Y'ALL LIKE IT SO….. Please tell me if there is anything I can improve on though! I have a tendency to skip straight to the point in novels so at some point you may be like, "OH GOD EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING AT ONCE WHAT IS SHE DOING" please tell me if I'm doing that!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. But, I'm in the top 50 best of the MCU category of my state on QuizUp.

Amber and Steve had gotten up in the ranks with their successes in missions. They were slowly, but surely, becoming friends. Natasha teased her about going soft, but yet Amber just raised an eyebrow when Clint and Natasha "spoke". AKA flirted.

"Alright, if you can get this, I will buy you coffee for the next week," Amber said from her place across the gym.

"I'll take it," Steve grinned and rolled his shoulders.

She fell into an easy stance and he ran at her. She was teaching him a modern move she used a lot in the field and how to take someone down if they used it. Between them, they fought with brute strength and agility and he was teaching her some moves as she taught him.

She grinned, vaulting off his shoulders and landing behind him. He shot his foot out, flipping her on the ground.

"Damn, you get coffee," she groaned, picking herself up.

"Why don't we get some right now? I had a long night," he shrugged.

"Nightmares?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah," he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You can always talk to me, you know?"

He nodded and she outstretched her hand. He helped her up effortlessly.

"Can we stop by my apartment on the way?" Amber asked.

"Yep," he smiled.

The ride in her car was filled with Amber's blasting rock music and him blushing at some of the lyrics. She stopped outside of her apartment building.

S.H.I.E.L.D. living spaces were too cramped, too quiet. She wanted a space where she could blast music and workout without judgement. Her apartment (he had been in it a couple of times) was large, open, in a loft format. She felt free in it, not confined. He had figured out she had problems being in closed spaces for a while.

"I need to grab my wallet," she explained, opening the door.

"Can I leave my shield here for a bit?" he asked.

"Yep, you know where to put it."

She disappeared into the bedroom and he hung his shield on the nail she had hammered into the wall one day after he had visited. She claimed that she had a place for her weapons, so he should too.

"Steve!" she called, "Get out!"

"What's wrong?"

"Bomb!"

He grabbed his shield as she came sprinting out. He raised his shield up protectively, hoping she had enough time.

A rapid beeping filled the room before before it dropped into one long beep. Amber shoved him out the door right as the apartment exploded.

His ears were ringing, his head was pounding, and his right side hurt like hell. The shield had taken the brunt of the blast, but he had been slammed into a wall.

"Amber?" he called.

She had moved him out of the way of the central blast, her taking it full force.

"Amber!" he shouted more frantically.

She couldn't have survived this blast.

The apartment was destroyed. Parts that weren't falling apart or crumbling were in flames. He searched through the debris as fast as he could, before finally spotting her hand. He pushed off the part of the wall that was crushing her and knelt down, checking her pulse. It was weak, but beating. Blood covered one side of her face and he could see more blood oozing out of the deep cuts that littered her body. She was unconscious, her head lolling to the side and her eyes shut.

How did she have no burns? He couldn't waste time thinking about that.

"Amber, you need to wake up," he tapped her cheek gently.

"Karakova, you need to wake up!"

He could hear sirens in the distance and the thumps of boots. Steve glanced out through the gaping hole in the wall and spotted six armed guards approaching the apartment.

"Mmh," Amber groaned softly, "Did I get blown up again?"

His lips quirked up slightly at the edges, "Again?"

"You'd be surprised," she winced, pushing herself onto her elbows.

She saw the guards and froze.

"Not good. Not good, at all," she whispered.

"Bad?"

"Very bad. We need to get out of here, now."

"Can you walk?"

She slowly pushed herself off the ground, taking a step. Instantly, she collapsed. He scooped her up, using his shield to support her head.

"Back door," she gasped, "leads to fire escape."

Steve hurried out, jumping over fallen beams and debris. As he finally got on the fire escape, he could hear the sound of boots and guns enter the apartment.

"Go," she hissed.

He looked down at her pale, bleeding face and knew where to go. She fell in and out of consciousness as he ran down the road, bypassing her car. It was too easy to be tracked. When he felt he was far enough, he fished around his jacket, grabbing his phone and dialing the familiar number.

"Hello, geezer. How may I piss you off today?" Tony Stark's voice floated through the line.

"This is serious. Agent Karakova and I were in an explosion. She's hurt, badly. Someone is following us. I'm coming to the tower now. Call Romanoff, Barton, and Dr. Gardner," he used his leader voice.

"I'm on it."

Steve hung up, glancing down at his partner. She was losing a lot of blood and the sight of her ghostly pale face was making him anxious. He brushed some hair out of her face and her eyes fluttered slightly.

"Hey," she said hoarsely.

"We're almost there, okay?"

She nodded weakly, "Steve, I need to...explain."

"Not right now, we need to get you fixed up."

Steve's eyes darted around from his hiding place. The tower was a five minute run from here, but if those people were following them...

Amber's body racked with coughs, blood trickling out of her mouth. He needed to get her to the tower. He sprinted as fast as he could towards the tower. As he neared it, he heard shots fire behind him. He felt a bullet graze his arm and grit his teeth. He practically smashed into the lobby doors as another bullet embedded itself in his shoulder.

"Hello, Mr. Rogers, how may I..." the secretary trailed off, eyes wide, "Just go right up."

Steve nodded and entered the elevator, pressing the floor number that was the infirmary. He tapped his foot impatiently and sighed in relief when the doors opened.

"What happened?" Natasha demanded as he laid Amber down on a cot.

Rebecca hurried over, fussing and examining her friend.

"We were at her apartment and a bomb detonated. She pushed me out of the way, taking the brunt of the hit. Some armed guards were approaching and she became conscious enough to tell me that they were bad news. Then, while I was bringing her here, they fired at us," he explained, "Will she be fine?"

"Her vitals are stable. I can do the thing, if you want me to," Rebecca glanced up at Natasha who nodded.

The doctor pressed a finger to the bleeding cut on Amber's forehead and it instantly healed.

"Mutation," she explained.

"Who were those people?" Steve turned to Natasha.

Clint looked at his partner who bit her lip anxiously.

"They were her past," she took an unsettling breath, "and they want to be her future."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Bit late! Sorry! I don't really like this chapter. Eh. In two chapters there's a huge TWIST. Please read, review, etc. I am mapping out the sequel so yayyyyyy.

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to Marvel.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Andrea was sitting on the edge of her friend's cot.

"I'm fine, just a bit….shaken," Amber nodded.

"GOOD MORNING, SMOAG!" Tony crowed, bursting into the infirmary.

"What the hell, Stark?" Amber groaned.

"Here's your security card, badge, key, and map of Avengers Tower. Your floor is 163, above Captain's and below the asSASSins."

"What?" she furrowed her brow.

"Your living here, no questions asked," Natasha entered behind him.

"And we're off missions for a month," Steve called, passing by on his way to the gym.

"Fury is coming by soon to discuss plans. Amber, next time something like this happens, we are activating Plan Omega," Natasha crossed her arms.

Amber's eyes darkened and she looked downcast, "I can't leave."

"You can and you will."

"Fine, mother," Amber rolled her eyes.

"Everyone, out," Natasha jerked her chin towards the door and they knew what was about to happen.

As soon as they were gone, the redhead calmly took a seat on the edge of the bed.

"How are you really?"

"Scared."

"That's understandable."

Amber buried her head in her hands, sobs racking her shoulders. Natasha tentatively wrapped her arms around her little sister's shaking frame.

"Don't make me go back. Please, Nata, don't make me go back. They made me a murderer, a monster. I can't go back, they will hurt me. I'm scared, I'm so scared."

Natasha ran a hand through her sister's dark locks, eyes softening.

"You are never leaving me," she whispered, "and you are not a monster."

She had to remind herself that her sister was only twenty three. Just a child, in this dark world. She didn't deserve this life.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," Natasha sighed.

"They made us this way. It isn't your fault," Amber shook her head.

"Go to sleep, sestra," she tucked her in, like old times and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

There were only two people the Black Widow was soft with, and the Red Dragon was one of them.

At first, it was dark.

Dark and cold.

Then, the light came. Slowly, blindingly.

Amber ran a hand along the wall, taking a shuddering breath.

She knew this place.

She knew the examination table and what they did to her on it.

Project Dragon.

The light cast shadows on the wall and it took her a moment to realize that she was making the light. The fires licked up her arms, like they had done so many times in the past.

With a lump in her throat, she looked down at her victims.

Coulson.

Ella.

Fury.

Hill.

Tony.

Bruce.

Rebecca.

Andrea.

Steve.

Clint.

Natasha.

They were all dead by her hand.

"No," she sobbed.

"You are a monster. A MONSTER!" echoed through her mind.

"Isn't it liberating?" her voice spoke, "Isn't death just pure freedom? Or is it murder that makes you free? What is it, мой драгоценный создание? I created you and this is what I get?! You left me for the Americans, жалкий дефект!"

"I NEVER WANTED THIS! I NEVER WANTED TO BE CREATED!" she screamed.

"You will obey your creator," Marina snarled.

"YOU MADE ME A MONSTER!"

"Agent Romanoff, Barton, I believe Agent Karakova is having a nightmare," JARVIS announced.

The two assassins were out of the gym in the blink of an eye. They cautiously entered the infirmary and Clint ducked as a scalpel embedded in the wall behind him.

Amber swiped her fist at him and he grabbed it, gently yanking it back.

"Calm down! It's me, Clint!"

Amber went slack and sighed, "Sorry. I just…."

"Project Dragon?"

She sat down, huffing out a long sigh before speaking, "I had killed you and Tash and the others. They're smart, getting into my head."

"What do you want to do about it? I know you, and being scared constantly isn't your thing," Natasha crossed her arms.

Fire laced up Amber's arm, dancing and sliding along her fingers. She studied it before clenching her fist, extinguishing the flames.

"I don't want to live in fear. I am not some damsel in distress!"

"So, what do you want to do?"

"Call Fury, activate Plan Omega. They want a war? They'll get a war," she took on a more severe look.

"Who's going to be your partner? Clint and I will be leading them off your trail. I can tell Andrea to pack."

"I want Steve with me."

Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"I trust him. I'm sick of keeping this a secret."

"I'm glad my sister is back," Natasha smirked, pulling out her phone.

"Romanoff, what the hell do you want?" Fury answered instantly.

"Activate Plan Omega. She's in," the ex-Russian said, walking down the hall.

"I'll inform Hill. Romanoff? Tell your sister to be careful. She's a damn good agent."

He hung up and she entered the gym, spotting Steve.

"Get packing, Rogers. We've activated Plan Omega and Amber needs you," she gave him a look that said no arguments.

"Do I get to know what Plan Omega is at least?" he asked.

"Tasha, I've got this," Amber appeared in the doorway, beckoning him to follow her.

He may not know her past or anything about her really, but he wanted to do anything he could to help her.

"Project Dragon and the Red Room are two interconnected enemy organizations of S.H.I.E.L.D. They created the Black Widow and Red Dragon. We thought we destroyed them and were mistaken. Natasha defected a few years before me, completely getting off their grid. They still want me though. Project Dragon was the only organization that successfully created a version of the Super Soldier Serum," she explained, pressing the elevator button shaped like a little shield.

"And that's you," it dawned on him, "that's why they made us partners."

"Exactly," she nodded as the doors opened, "Pack clothes and essentials. Don't bring the suit, bring the shield. We are leaving the state. I need you to trust me. I trust you, more than I should. Right now, I'm putting my life in your hands. Meet me on the roof in ten minutes."

He had been on enough missions to see her obliterate, interrogate, and destroy people. But, he had never seen her desperate. He knew she needed his help.

He threw clothes in his duffle bag he had under the bed and glanced around the room. What was he getting himself into?

He found Amber on the roof, a bag slung on her arm and a sigh passing her lips.

"Steve!" Natasha called, jogging up to him.

Amber threw her bag in a jet, glancing at them and shrugging.

"I know you will know what to do with this when the time comes," the redhead said, pressing a watch into his palm.

"Be careful," she whispered and joined Clint.

"You ready to go, Cap?" Amber called.

"Yeah," he jogged over and boarded the jet, slipping the watch onto his wrist.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: yeah, there's a lot of foreign languages in her so I used google for a lot of this. The translation will be at the bottom.

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel…

Amber stared across the table at him, sipping her coffee. She reached across, pulling his baseball cap lower over his eyes.

"Where do you plan to go?" he asked.

"Australia or Honduras. But, in a week. Once they're off our trail, we're good. Then, Nat will kill them, voila," she shrugged.

"This plan seemed much more complex earlier," he mused and her lips quirked in a smile.

"Project Dragon won't let up so easy," she shook her head.

They were in a diner in the middle middle of nowhere Kansas, drinking coffee and refueling with breakfast. It had had been four days since she activated Plan Omega.

"They are really attached," he frowned.

"I'm the only other person with a successful Super Soldier serum," she shrugged.

They kept eating in a comfortable silence until Amber sat rigidly. She pulled out her wallet, dropping a $50 on the table and grabbing his hand.

"Someone is watching us," she whispered and they hurried out towards the car she had hotwired.

"Romanova," a voice spoke.

"Why am I not surprised?" she snapped, turning around, "Alexi's dead so she sends her next guard dog."

"You're coming with me."

"Nice try, Peter," she sneered and Steve raised his shield in defence.

Amber threw the first punch, crouching and pulling out one of her zip cords. Peter stepped back, aiming a kick for her face. She wrapped the cord around his leg and pulled him closer. Steve furrowed his brow as he said something and she rolled her eyes, flipping him. He struck out, a small dart in his hand. It embedded itself in her leg and she collapsed. Steve swore, throwing his shield. Peter was knocked back before he threw another dart. Steve dodged it, catching his shield and decking him. Peter grinned, mouth bloodied as he laid on the ground. Steve felt a sharp prick in the neck and then it all blacked out.

"Is he alive?" a voice said.

"Do you doubt me?" a woman spoke.

"Of course not, ma'am!"

"Take some blood. The sooner we get the serum, the sooner we have Anastasia."

"Ma'am, where should we put her?"

"Back in her tank. How are the other two?"

"The redhead is still alive and the особый is pacing her cell."

"My restless child. She will break soon and learn to obey me again."

"командир," a new voice joined them. (1)

"Dimytri," the woman smiled.

"This Американская," he spat, "is our key to bringing her to our side?" (2)

"Да, любовь моя," she crooned, "and I will bring our Widow back as well." (3)

She extracted some of Steve's blood, tapping the syringe and smiling.

"Our creation will come back," she whispered triumphantly.

In a cell down the hall, a woman paced incessantly.

"Car, relax," a voice said on the other side of the wall.

"No voy a calmarme! Algo está pasando!" she huffed, frustrated. (4)

"I know something is happening out there. You getting angry won't help us!"

"Por supuesto que estoy enojado! Pasé dieciséis años de mi vida aquí y ahora estoy de vuelta! He estado atrapado en esta celda estúpido durante cinco meses! S.H. .D. piensa que estamos muertos! Infierno, SOMOS!" she snapped, her voice in a slight Russian accent as she rambled in Spanish. (5)

"Yes, I know S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks we're dead. We need to think logically on how to get out of here."

"К черту с логикой! Я устал от этой дыре!" she switched to rapid Russian, taking on a full accent. (6)

"I know you are. We both are. Calm down, sit your ass down, and speak in English."

"There's no way to get out, I've tried," Car sat down, resting her head in her hands.

"We can still have hope, right?" the older woman asked, leaning her head back against the wall, red hair spilling along her shoulders.

"Next time I see Fury, I'm punching him."

"Get in line, love," her British accent rang out with a hint of laughter behind it.

"Do you miss them? Coulson, Hill?"

"I'm sure they'll be there when we get back."

"How do you think Strike Team Delta is getting along?"

"Like children, what do you think?"

A door opened and Car's breath hitched. It slammed shut again and she waited before speaking.

"Ella?"

Pause.

"Elizabeth?"

Nothing.

"Agent Blake?"

Car was alone.

Steve blearily opened his eyes to four people staring at him.

"Subject 42B is awake, ma'am," a young man said and a woman approached.

Her long, golden hair was pulled back, highlighting the severity of her face. Her eyes were completely black. No whites, no iris. Just...black.

"What did you do with Amber?" he demanded.

"Who?" she tilted her head, confused.

"Amber. Agent Karakova," he spat.

"Ah," she blinked, "Anastasia."

"What. Did. You. Do. With. Her?"

"Anastasia is fine. A bit tied up at the moment, but fine."

She walked out, assistants following behind. He tugged at the restraints, frowning at the fact that they wouldn't break.

"It's useless. High grade titanium alloy," a tired voice said next to him.

A woman was chained down, just like him. Her red hair splayed out around her pale, freckled face. She looked around upper 30's-low 40's in age.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Depends on who's asking."

"Elizabeth Blake," she laughed gently.

"Steve Rogers," he nodded.

"The Super Soldier? I heard they found you from Coulson."

"Elizabeth Blake? Aren't you the agent that was killed in Venezuela?"

"Surprise! Not dead. What are you here for?"

"I was protecting Agent Karakova. They want my serum, I guess."

She frowned, "Agent Karakova?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D agent? Red Dragon?"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I trained her."

The door opened and the woman walked in.

"Put him in her cell. Now, Elizabeth, we will make her break, yes, yes we will," she smirked, approaching her with a syringe.

Agent Blake glared at her dead in the eyes, not once wavering. After it was injected, Steve could see her clench her jaw in order not to scream.

The goons injected him with something and his limbs felt like jelly. They dragged him along the dark hallway, the smell of mold and death everywhere. They opened a door and threw him in. He laid there, taking in his surroundings which had dirt and blood everywhere. One side of the cell looked burned.

The door shut and the shadows spoke.

"You must be pretty damn special if they put you in here with me. So, I'm going to ask this once: who the hell are you?"

Translations:

1-commander

2-American

3-yes, my love

4-I will not calm down! Something is happening!

5-Of course I'm angry! I spent sixteen years of my life here and now I'm back! I've been stuck in this stupid cell for five months! S.H. .D. thinks we're dead! Hell, WE ARE!

6- To hell with logic! I'm tired of this hole!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hehe. Bet y'all didn't see this coming. OKAY….

REVIEW.

PLEASE.

I BARELY GET ONE A CHAPTER.

PLEASE.

I BEG OF YOU.

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. Sadly. ON WITH THE PROGRAM.

A woman approached him, ratty and knotty black hair falling like a greasy curtain around her face. She was ghostly pale, and all skin and bones. Her skin stretched across her face, highlighting her starvation with her hollow cheeks.

Her golden eyes were familiar.

"Amber?" he breathed.

"How do you know my name? You S.H.I.E.L.D.?" she snarled.

"I'm Steve. Steve Rogers," he furrowed his brows.

"The Super Soldier? Why the hell are you here?"

"I was your Plan Omega protection deal, don't you remember?"

"Captain, I've been stuck in here for five months."

"That isn't…"

"Possible?" she laughed bitterly, "anything is possible in Project Dragon."

"Is that where we are?"

She nodded as he could feel the senses come back into his hands and feet.

"So, you know my sister?"

"I personally know the barrel of her gun," he tried to lighten the mood.

Amber smirked and sat down in front of him, wincing slightly. Her bony frame and pale skin made her ghostly.

"Project Dragon is using a clone of me, trying to get Natasha, and you I guess, in here. They're trying to break me. Fed every four days. If you couldn't tell," she sighed.

"The mission in Venezuela?"

"Was a trap, yes," she nodded.

He could sit up now, turning to face her.

"What day is it?"

"It should be the," he glanced down at his watch, "17th of December."

She huffed, shutting her eyes and they fell into comfortable silence.

"Amber?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Natasha gave me this watch and told me I would know what to do with it. Do you know what that means?"

She held out her hand and he unstrapped it, placing it in her palm.

"This is my biomolecular tracking watch, son of a bitch!" the assassin smirked, turning it over. She pressed a finger to the knob and a small blade shot out. Amber pricked her finger, dropping it on the face of the watch. It opened, electronic screen displayed.

"Activate Widow Bite," she spoke and the watch beeped, "It's sending out an electromagnetic pulse designed to activate Natasha and Clint's watches. I designed it so that it only activates to our blood. Sadly, the knife isn't big enough for me to use as a weapon."

"You designed this?" he asked incredulously.

"With Beck's and Andy's help, of course. I majored in Biomedical engineering," she shrugged.

"Do you think Natasha knew it wasn't the real you?"

"Knowing Project Dragon, they probably made my clone some psycho Barbie who's an emotional wreck," she scoffed.

"She cried a lot."

"Ugh. Who do they think I am?"

A clang of metal rang out and Amber straightened up. Another sound, a boom, echoed through the room and she sighed, letting her shoulders drop.

"Ella?" she called, dragging herself over to the wall.

"Yeah?" a weak voice answered.

"Any idea what they're up to?"

"Once they get Romanoff, it's game over," the redhead mumbled.

"They won't get my sister. Not until they have me," Amber spat.

Their door opened and a guard entered, holding shackles.

"Have you changed your mind, Anastasia?" he asked.

"In your dreams," she hissed and Steve tensed.

"Perhaps I can convince you," the woman with the black eyes strolled in, "put them on her."

Amber's eyes glowed, sharper and brighter than the clone's had. She glared at her as they forced her to her knees.

"Stay back, Captain," Amber commanded, "it would only be worse."

The guard locked the shackles and flipped a switch. She gnashed her teeth, growling low in her throat as the electricity flowed through the chains and into her.

"Up the voltage," the woman demanded.

"Go to hell, Marina," Amber panted.

"Higher."

The assassin yelped, back arching as pain flowed through her. They kept it climbing and Steve wanted to jump in, but he knew she was right. It would only make it worse. Not once did she scream.

"Have you reconsidered?" Marina kicked her limp, twitching form.

"Over my... dead body," she croaked.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that."

The second they were gone, Steve helped her sit up against the wall.

"Why are they doing this to you? Why don't they just use the clone?"

"She can only last….couple months and doesn't have….skill. No more...DNA," she murmured, eyes shutting.

"No, come on. You need to stay awake," he tapped her cheek.

"Can't give up."

"No, no you can't. I haven't known the real you for very long, but you're the strongest person I know."

"S-sorry."

"Why would you be sorry?"

"Got you...in this mess."

"No, no, the serum put us both here. I should be the sorry one."

"What was...war like?"

He regaled her with stories all night, making sure she didn't fall asleep or die. Falling asleep meant making it worse.

"How ya' feeling?" he mumbled sleepily, Brooklyn accent seeping into his words.

"Like shit," she snorted and he chuckled.

"Food," a guard threw a bag down and two bottles of water.

"Not great tasting, but it's food. Eat up," Amber passed him a dirty container of what looked like mush and sadness and a plastic spoon. She ate it, slowly to not get sick before freezing.

"Use my spoon," she said and took his utensil, shoving it under the muddy, dirty mattress on the wooden cot that looked like it would break any second.

He raised an eyebrow, but nodded and finished the mush of doom.

"You're right, that does taste like shit," he grimaced.

"I normally am, Captain."

"Steve, please," he shook his head.

"Alright, Steve," she sighed, "now, we wait."


End file.
